The City of Topeka’s Governing Body has selected four candidates to interview for the Topeka City Manager position.
About the candidates
Mike Harmon earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Northern Iowa and later earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Dakota with a concentration in state and local government administration. After Mike’s formal education, he went on to pursue a career in public service and has over twenty-four years of combined governmental experience at the state and local level. During Mike’s career he served as a police officer in the capital city of Pierre, SD and later as a city administrator for Fairfield, IA and Spearfish, SD. Mike currently serves as the chief operating officer for an electric utility in Wyoming and is eager to return to public service and to be nearer to his extended family.
David Johnston has over 25 years of local government management experience. He served as the City Manager for Covington, Kentucky and Maple Valley, Washington. Covington is a rejuvenating historic Ohio River community located across from Cincinnati. He served as the village administrator for Rantoul, Illinois – home of the closed Chanute Air Force Base. David holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University. He also earned a certificate of economic development from the University of Oklahoma. He is an International City Manager Association (ICMA) Credentialed Manager.
Stephen Wade is a Shawnee Heights graduate and a Topeka resident. He serves as the Director of Administrative and Financial Services for the City of Topeka. Stephen spent 30 years in the media industry and has extensive experience at the CEO level. He was formerly the publisher of The Topeka Capital-Journal and The Augusta Chronicle in Augusta, Georgia. Stephen holds a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Kansas and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Florida Institute of Technology. He is currently working on an academic research project that calls for a greater emphasis on equity in municipal budgeting. Stephen currently serves on the board of directors for the Topeka Community Foundation, and he previously held board seats on Go Topeka and the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce.
Abbe Yacoben is currently the Deputy Finance Director and City Treasurer for the City of Las Vegas,
Nevada where she has served for the past five and a half years. She has nearly 20 years of municipal
government leadership experience, and has held roles in Arizona, Illinois and her home state of Maine.
Abbe has a Master’s degree in Public Policy with a finance concentration from the University of Chicago,
and she is a Certified Public Finance Officer. Abbe is passionate about and skilled at leadership, teambuilding,
open communication, working with different public groups and ensuring the City’s initiatives
truly improve quality of life for all residents and stakeholders.
Interview process
The candidates will participate in two interview panels on Tuesday, August 30. One interview panel will
be with the Governing Body, and the other will be with community stakeholders.
Public meet and greet
In addition to the interview panels, the candidates will also attend a public meet and greet. Community
members are invited to attend the meet and greet, which will take place on Tuesday, August 30 from
5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Bishop Professional Development Center located at 3601 SW 31st St. Light
refreshments will be provided at the event.
Attendees will be able to provide feedback on the candidates to the Governing Body by filling out
comment cards at the meet and greet, or by emailing comments to cmsearch@premierks.com.
Recruitment process
Kansas Personnel Services, Inc., doing business as Premier Employment Solutions and Key Staffing, led
the recruitment campaign for the Topeka City Manager position.
40 candidates applied for the position. Of the 40 candidates, 13 had ties to Kansas. After review of all
candidates, the Governing Body selected the above four candidates to interview.
Visitors of the popular Kaw River State Park may notice excavation work near the boat ramp located in the northeast corner of the park. This earth and excavation work, led by the City of Topeka, is part of the greater Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project.
The Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project is a two-year project, and encompasses 22 acres of land in the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ 76-acre Kaw River State Park. The restoration project, led by Friends of the Kaw (FOK), aims to remove non-native plants and invasive species from the area.
Currently, the City’s contractor is making improvements in the boat ramp area to reduce erosion and sediment loss. Additionally, the contractor will be constructing some nested basins near the parking lot to promote water quality by infiltration and filtration. The excavation work is expected to be complete in the next few weeks, weather permitting.
Once complete, FOK and project partners will work with volunteers to return native grasses, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs to the area. Returning native plants will stabilize soil, while improving drainage and water quality of the river. All of the City’s water originates from the Kansas River.
The Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project is made possible by FOK, Native Lands LLC, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, the City of Topeka Utilities Department, and Shawnee County Extension Master Gardeners.
To learn more about the Topeka Riverbank Restoration Project, including volunteer opportunities, visit https://kansasriver.org/get-involved/volunteer/riverbank-restoration-volunteer-opportunities/.
For more on Kaw River State Park, visit https://ksoutdoors.com/State-Parks/Locations/Kaw-River.
The City of Topeka has several openings for community members to serve on various boards and commissions.
“Serving on boards and commissions is a great way to get involved in local government, while serving your community,” said Topeka Mayor Michael Padilla. “I encourage Topekans to take a look at the openings, see what topics might be of interest to you, and to apply for those open spots. We welcome citizens to join us in public service.”
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Advisory Council
- There are currently two vacancies on the ADA Advisory Council.
- Board of Building and Fire Appeals
- There are currently two vacancies on the Board of Building and Fire Appeals.
- Board of Electrical Appeals
- There is currently one vacancy on the Board of Electrical Appeals.
- Board of Mechanical Examiners Appeals
- There are currently four vacancies on the Board of Mechanical Examiners Appeals.
- Board of Plumbing Appeals
- There is currently one vacancy on the Board of Plumbing Appeals.
- Citizens Advisory Council (CAC)
- There is currently one vacancy on the Citizens Advisory Council.
- Civil Service Commission
- There are currently two vacancies on the Civil Service Commission.
- Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) Advisory Board
- There are currently two vacancies on the Downtown BID Advisory Board.
- Human Relations Commission
- There is currently one vacancy on the Human Relations Commission.
- Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging Board of Directors
- There is currently one vacancy on the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging Board of Directors.
- Shawnee County Community Corrections Advisory Board
- There is currently one vacancy on the Shawnee County Community Corrections Advisory Board.
- Shawnee County Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board
- There is currently one vacancy on the Shawnee County Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board.
- Topeka Housing Authority Advisory Board
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- There are currently two vacancies on the Topeka Housing Authority Advisory Board.
- Topeka Metropolitan Transit Board
- There are currently two vacancies on the Topeka Metropolitan Transit Board.
- Topeka Performing Arts Center Board of Trustees
- There are currently two vacancies on the Topeka Performing Arts Center Board of Trustees.
- Topeka Shawnee County Riverfront Authority Board
- There is currently one vacancy on the Topeka Shawnee County Riverfront Authority Board.
- Topeka Sustainability Advisory Board
- There are currently two vacancies on the Topeka Sustainability Advisory Board.
To learn more about the boards and commissions with vacancies, and to apply online, visit https://www.topeka.org/mayor/boards-commissions/.
The City of Topeka on Wednesday will kick off a project to inventory the condition of all roads maintained by the City.
To accomplish this, the City hired Roadway Asset Services, LLC (RAS) based out of Austin, Texas. RAS is a nationwide firm that provides professional asset management and mobile data collection services to local and state government agencies.
Beginning Wednesday, August 10, 2022, RAS vehicles will collect imagery on all pavement and above ground transportation-related assets located within the public right-of-way. The vehicles will be traveling all City-maintained roads, to include alleys. The data collection will occur during daylight hours and on dry roads.
RAS vehicles are clearly marked, and look like the below photo.
The City previously worked with RAS on a similar project. The data collection process is expected to take 4 to 6 weeks.
The City of Topeka and community partners will host an event on Friday to celebrate the successful first three years of the Impact Avenues program.
The event will take place on Friday, August 12, 2022 between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Holliday Building, located at 620 SE Madison Ave. At 2:30 p.m., a video will be played, highlighting successes of the program. Light refreshments will be provided at the event.
Impact Avenues is a program that helps students get the resources and opportunities they need to get a quality education, and not have to worry about where they will sleep at night.
“Impact Avenues is a powerful partnership in our community dedicated to reducing student homelessness. I am very proud to be part of a program that has helped hundreds of children find permanent safe housing,” said Carrie Higgins, Senior Program Administrator for the City of Topeka. “Through collective impact and our 38 partner agencies we have been able to make a real difference, and I am excited to continue the important work we do.”
Impact Avenues Results
Backbone and partner organizations together touched the lives of Shawnee County’s students and families 3,340 times in the 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 school years. During this period, 349 families with 827 children were served; 424 were students, while 333 were younger siblings. Full results are available in the Impact Avenues Three-Year Report.
A key metric for this program is the housing stability rate once families attain a permanent housing solution. 97% of families who attain a permanent housing solution through Impact Avenues remain stably housed. This extraordinary result is made possible by the full array of wraparound services and classes that build families’ ability to be self-sufficient, which is the heart of the Impact Avenues program.
If you’re interested in supporting Impact Avenues, please visit https://www.topeka.org/impact-avenues/help/ to learn more.
Representatives from each of the nine Topeka City Council districts met for the first time Thursday night to begin the redistricting process. Redistricting of the City’s Council district boundary lines occurs every 10 years following the Census.
The Redistricting Commissioners were each appointed by their respective Councilmember to participate in the process. The 2022 Redistricting Commission members are as follows:
- Jessica Porter, Council District No. 1
- Laura Pederzani, Council District No. 2
- Teresa Leslie-Canty, Council District No. 3
- John Nave, Council District No. 4
- Marcus Clark, Council District No. 5
- Vicki Arnett, Council District No. 6
- Jeff Wagaman, Council District No. 7
- Bill Hill, Council District No. 8
- Michelle Hoferer, Council District No. 9
At Thursday’s meeting, the Commissioners learned about the overall process, and viewed two draft proposal maps City of Topeka staff developed to help start the conversation. The current District Map, and the two draft proposal maps can be viewed online. Commissioners have the opportunity to develop their own maps, but must follow rules set forth by law.
The Commissioners will meet again on Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. at the City’s Holliday Building, which is located at 620 SE Madison Ave.
The Commissioners invite community members to provide input throughout this process. Public input can be provided by email to the City Clerk’s Office at cclerk@topeka.org. Community members are also invited to provide input during a Public Hearing, which is scheduled for Thursday, August 18 at 5:00 p.m. at the Holliday Building.
Additional meetings may be added at the direction of the Commission. Redistricting Commission Meetings are streamed live on Cox Local Channel 4, the City’s Facebook page, and the City’s livestream.
Learn more about City redistricting at https://www.topeka.org/citycouncil/redistricting-commission/.
La Ciudad de Topeka se complace en anunciar un programa piloto para el mantenimiento de césped como parte del primer año de su Iniciativa Cambiando Nuestra Cultura del Mantenimiento de la Propiedad.
El programa piloto proporcionará apoyo de servicios de mantenimiento de césped a aquellos que vivan en áreas con una Asociación de Mejoras en el Vecindario (NIA por sus siglas en inglés), asegurando que una tarifa estándar, fija y asequible esté disponible.
“El objetivo de lograr el mantenimiento del césped de todos los jardines sin que la Ciudad esté involucrada ha estado en proceso por años. Nos emociona tener el programa listo y en funcionamiento para nuestros vecinos,” dijo la concejala Karen Hiller. “La Ciudad está apoyando a Omni Circle Group y a Gil Carter Initiative con el préstamo de equipo para el mantenimiento de los césped, lo cual demuestra nuestro compromiso con ellos y con la comunidad entera para el éxito de este programa. El objetivo a largo plazo es que el programa se vuelva auto sostenible e independiente de la Ciudad”.
En el primer año del programa, tres entidades diferentes a las de la Ciudad de Topeka estarán proporcionando los servicios relacionados con este programa, algunos son pagados y otros son voluntarios para ayudar a los residentes que no tienen un mantenimiento regular de su césped.
Estos tres proveedores tienen disponibilidad limitada y no son entidades que pertenezcan a la Ciudad. Si los proveedores no tienen la capacidad de ofrecer los servicios en este tiempo, los residentes pueden referirse a las redes sociales u otros recursos para localizar a un proveedor, pero sepa que la Ciudad no ha aprobado a otros proveedores para estos servicios.
La Ciudad creo un documento con información de cómo puede buscar a alguien para que le de mantenimiento a su césped, cómo revisar referencias, así como también materiales educativos de cómo dar mantenimiento, cortar y reducir la vegetación.
Tarifas fijas de mantenimiento de césped para todas las áreas de NIA
Tsquared Lawn Care está ofreciendo una tarifa fija baja de $30 por corte de césped para los residentes que viven en las áreas con un NIA.
NIA en Highland Acres
Gil Carter Initiative está ofreciendo una tarifa estándar en un rango de $40-70 por corte de césped para los residentes que vivan en un área NIA de Highland Acres. Gil Carter Initiative puede ofrecer precios más bajos dependiendo la situación.
NIA en Central Park
Omni Circle Group estará cortando los césped de manera voluntaria para los residentes que viven en el área NIA de Central Park, y así ayudar a esta área a alcanzar la meta de tener el 100% de césped cortados.
Encuentre un NIA
Para saber si usted vive en un área con NIA, por favor visite la base de datos en el sitio web de la Ciudad y busque su dirección.
Oportunidades para ser voluntario
Un componente adicional de la Iniciativa Cambiando Nuestra Cultura del Mantenimiento de la Propiedad es que se enfoca en vecinos ayudando a vecinos por medio del voluntariado.
Inscríbase para ser voluntario
Los individuos, familias, negocios, iglesias, organizaciones y cualquier vecino que quiera involucrarse en ayudar a darle mantenimiento a los césped de residentes puede inscribirse para ser voluntario por medio de United Way of Greater Topeka en el portal de voluntarios Topeka.
Solicitar un voluntario
Los individuos que no puedan pagar por servicios de mantenimiento de césped o aquellos que vivan en áreas que no tengan un NIA dentro de los límites de Topeka pueden solicitar que su césped sea cortado. Sin embargo, la Ciudad no puede garantizar la disponibilidad de un voluntario en esa área y no se hace responsable de la aprobación de voluntarios.
Línea de asistencia de la Iniciativa Cambiando Nuestra Cultura del Mantenimiento de la Propiedad.
Para conocer más acerca del programa, solicitar un proveedor o ser voluntario o para registrar sus horas de voluntariado, llame al 785-368-9530.
“Solo quiero decirles a todos nuestros miembros de la comunidad – ¡Finalmente el momento ha llegado! Solo se trata de dejar a nuestros vecinos, iglesias y familiares que nos ayuden a cortar el césped,” dijo la concejala Christina Valdivia-Alcalá. “Hemos escuchado en varias reuniones comunitarias cómo las personas querían corresponder el tiempo en que uno le ha ayudado al otro. Podemos hacer esto. Tienda una mano”.
Celebración
Al finalizar la temporada de darle mantenimiento al césped en el 2022, habrá un evento para celebrar a aquellos que sirvieron como voluntarios por medio del portal de United Way, así como también a otros que ayudaron de cualquier forma para hacer de esta iniciativa un éxito. Manténgase al tanto para detalles adicionales acerca de la celebración.
The City of Topeka is excited to announce a pilot mowing program as part of the first year of its Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative.
The pilot program will provide backup mowing services for those living in Neighborhood Improvement Association (NIA) areas, by making sure that a fixed and affordable rate model is available.
“The goal of having all yards mowed and trimmed without City involvement has been years in the making. We are thrilled to have the program up and running for our neighbors,” said Councilwoman Karen Hiller. “The City is supporting Omni Circle Group and the Gil Carter Initiative by providing loaned mowing equipment, which demonstrates our commitment to them, and the community at-large to see this program through. The long-term goal is for the program to become self-sustaining, and independent from the City.”
In the program’s first year, three different non-City of Topeka entities will be providing services related to the program, some on a paid, and some on a volunteer basis, to assist residents who do not have regular mowing arrangements.
These three providers have limited availability, and are not entities of the City. If the providers don’t have the capacity to offer services at this time, residents may refer to social media or other resources to locate a provider, but know the City hasn’t vetted other providers for these services.
The City created a tip sheet with information on how to find someone to mow, how to check references, as well as educational materials on mowing, trimming, and cutting back vegetation.
All NIA areas fixed-rate mowing
Tsquared Lawn Care is offering a low fixed rate of $30 per mow for residents living within NIA areas.
Highland Acres NIA
Gil Carter Initiative is offering a standard fixed rate range of $40-70 per mow for residents living within the Highland Acres NIA area. Gil Carter Initiative may offer lower costs depending on criteria they set.
Central Park NIA
Omni Circle Group is volunteering to mow lawns for residents living within the Central Park NIA area, in order to help the area achieve a goal of 100% of lawns mowed.
Finding a NIA
To learn if you live in a NIA area, please visit the database on the City website and search your address.
Volunteer opportunities
An additional component to the Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance Initiative focuses on neighbors helping neighbors through volunteerism.
Sign up to volunteer
Individuals, families, businesses, churches, organizations, and any neighbor wanting to get engaged with helping residents with mowing can sign up to volunteer through the United Way of Greater Topeka’s Topeka Volunteers portal.
Request a volunteer
Individuals who are unable to pay for mowing services, or those who live outside of NIA areas in the City of Topeka limits, are able to request their lawn be mowed. The City, however, cannot guarantee a volunteer match, and is not responsible for vetting volunteers.
Changing Our Culture of Property Maintenance assistance line
To find out more about the program, request a provider or volunteer to mow your lawn, or to record your volunteer arrangement, call 785-368-9530.
“I just want to say to all of our community members – the time is finally here! It’s about leaning in to our neighbors, churches and family members to help get mowing done,” said Councilwoman Christina Valdivia-Alcala. “We heard in various community meetings how folks wanted to get back to the time when we helped one another. We can do this. Extend a hand.”
Celebration
At the conclusion of the 2022 mowing season, there will be an event to celebrate those who volunteered to mow through the United Way’s portal, as well as others who helped in any way to make the initiative successful. Stay tuned for additional details about the celebration.
The Topeka Municipal Court will suspend some scheduled dockets in August due to continued staffing and scheduling issues.
During this time, the following dockets will be cancelled:
- Monday, August 1: 10:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Arraignment Dockets
- Monday, August 8: 8:30 a.m. Prose Trial Docket, and 10:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Arraignment Dockets
- Wednesday, August 10: 10:00 a.m. Arraignment Docket
- Thursday, August 11: 1:15 p.m. Prose Trial Docket
- Monday, August 15: 10:00 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. Arraignment Dockets
- Tuesday, August 16: 9:00 a.m. Court Appointed Attorney Docket
- Thursday, August 18: 3:15 p.m. Time to Pay Docket
- Monday, August 22: 10:00 a.m. Arraignment Docket
- Thursday, August 25: 3:15 p.m. Time to Pay Docket
- Monday, August 29: 10:00 a.m. Arraignment Docket
All impacted cases will be rescheduled, and impacted defendants and defense counsel will be notified by mail.
Non-docket Court business, such as defendants wanting to set court dates, resolve non-appearance required cases, recall warrants, file documents, make payments, and reset payment plans, will continue as normal during business hours.
Defendants are encouraged to check the status of their case on the Court’s online public access portal at https://www.topeka.org/municipalcourt/.
Anyone directed to report to the Probation Division should continue to report as scheduled.
The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative today announced the sixth class of 40 mayors from around the world who will participate in the yearlong education and professional development program. The program is designed to equip mayors with the leadership and management tools to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. The private sector invests more than $42 billion each year in executive development but there is no equivalent in the public sector. The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative aims to close this gap to help mayors excel.
To kick off the program, the mayors joined Harvard faculty and renowned management experts in New York City this week for a four-day, immersive classroom experience and convening. Two senior leaders from each of the cities will also participate in the program and begin their classroom experience in August.
The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s sixth class of mayors represents a diverse range of geographies and experiences:
- More than half of the mayors identify as people of color (21), including 14 Black mayors
- 70 percent (28) are from the United States; 30 percent (12) are from international cities
- 3 mayors are from Africa and 8 are from Europe
- 18 percent of the mayors (7) are from cities with populations over 1 million people
- 43 percent (17) of the mayors are from cities with populations between 200,000 and 1 million people, and 40 percent (16) are from cities with less than 200,000
“This class brings together a diverse and dynamic group of mayors from across the globe, and we’re glad to welcome them to New York City to kick off the sixth year of the program,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, three-term mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “With all the urgent shared challenges facing cities, the opportunity for mayors to exchange ideas and learn from one another and experts is more important than ever. We’re looking forward to working with them throughout the year, and to seeing the results in their cities.”
The flagship program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, the Initiative is a collaboration between Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School that aims to provide a world-class learning experience for mayors and their senior leaders to help equip them with the tools and expertise to effectively govern cities. Harvard faculty, staff, and students, alongside experts from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ global network of experts, work with the mayors and senior officials over the course of one year in the classroom, online, and in the field to foster professional growth and advance the necessary capabilities to drive innovation and deliver results for
residents. Since its launch in 2017, the Initiative has built an alumni network of nearly 200 global mayors from 24 countries.
Members of the sixth class of mayors to participate in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative are:
Matt Tuerk (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Brian Kulpa (Amherst, New York); Andre Dickens (Atlanta, Georgia); Rohey Malick Lowe (Banjul, The Gambia); Lacey Beaty (Beaverton, Oregon); Lauren McLean (Boise, Idaho); Michelle Wu (Boston, Massachusetts); Aftab Pureval (Cincinnati, Ohio); Justin Bibb (Cleveland, Ohio); Daniel Rickenmann (Columbia, South Carolina); Emma Sharif (Compton, California); Jeffrey Mims (Dayton, Ohio); Abdullah Hammoud (Dearborn, Michigan); Elaine O’Neal (Durham, North Carolina); Joe Schember (Erie, Pennsylvania); Susan Aitken (Glasgow, Scotland); Juhana Vartiainen (Helsinki, Finland); Tyrone Garner (Kansas City, Kansas); Pudence Rubingisa (Kigali, Rwanda); Chilando Chitangala (Lusaka, Zambia); Cavalier Johnson (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas (Monterrey, Mexico); Jon Mitchell (New Bedford, Massachusetts); Ed Gainey (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania); Malik Evans (Rochester, New York); Darrell Steinberg (Sacramento, California); Todd Gloria (San Diego, California); Benjamina Karić (Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina); Danela Arsovska (Skopje, North Macedonia); Oliver Coppard (South Yorkshire, United Kingdom); Caroline Simmons (Stamford, Connecticut); Kenneth Welch (St. Petersburg, Florida); Larry Klein (Sunnyvale, California); Wade Kapszukiewicz (Toledo, Ohio); Mike Padilla (Topeka, Kansas); Minna Arve (Turku, Finland); Anne McEnerny-Ogle (Vancouver, Washington); Quentin Hart (Waterloo, Iowa); Dan Norris (West of England, United Kingdom); and Tracy Brabin (West Yorkshire, United Kingdom).
In a formal impact assessment, mayors who were members of prior classes of the program reported that the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative has helped them increase leadership and management capacity in their cities. Nearly 90 percent of mayors demonstrate measurable improvement in their leadership capabilities as a result of the program.
“Through its City Leadership Initiative, the Bloomberg Center for Cities draws on the expertise of our faculty to strengthen and expand the capabilities of mayors whose work shapes the lives of millions of people,” said Harvard President Larry Bacow. “We are pleased to welcome the sixth class of mayors to Harvard and this cornerstone program, which is generously supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. We look forward to everything they and their colleagues will accomplish together, both in the classroom and in their cities.”
About The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative
The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative–the flagship program of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University–is a collaboration between Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies to equip mayors and senior city officials to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. Launched in 2017, the Initiative has worked with 428 mayors and 1400 senior city officials in 494 cities worldwide. The Initiative has also advanced research and developed new curriculum and teaching tools to help city leaders solve real-world problems. For more information, please visit the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative or visit us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 941 cities and 173 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2021, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.66 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Media Contacts:
Courtney Greenwald, Courtney@bloomberg.org
Maria Daniels, maria_daniels@harvard.edu